Body Temperature Controlling System

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a body temperature controlling system comprising at least one member receiving a flow of gas from at least one blower in communication with said at least one member, said at least one member directing said flow of gas onto a wearer thereof.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application and claims priority fromU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/137,414, filed on Jun. 11, 2008, theentirety of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

This invention was made with United States government support throughcontract number H92222-06-P-0047, under the United States Department ofDefense. The United States may have certain rights in this invention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a temperature controlling system, inparticular, a body temperature controlling system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Military ground mobility vehicles often operate in areas of high heatwith no environmental conditioning systems for cooling the individualsoldier or critical vehicle electronic systems. It is well documentedthat working in extremely hot environments leads to reduced physical andcognitive performance. Typical vehicle climate control systems are largerefrigerant-based systems that are not man portable.

Portable cooling methods and/or systems would be beneficial not only formilitary applications but also, for example, in sports (e.g. coolingathletes during training and competition), industrial and medicalapplications.

Currently, there are a number of potential cooling methods and/orsystems as well as application methods but each has its owndisadvantages. The following is a list of some of these examples:

refrigeration cycle-based cooling

vortex cooling

thermoelectric-based cooling

liquid cooled vests

passive (phase change) vests

air cooled vests

With respect to refrigeration cycle-based cooling, Rankine cyclerefrigeration is an efficient method of heating and cooling. At leastone variation has been deployed in combat operations. The system howeverdoes not support dismounted operations and requires integration into thevehicle's air-conditioning system, or an air-conditioning system must beretrofitted to the vehicle if it is not so equipped.

With respect to vortex cooling, the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube is asimple device that has no moving parts. Vortex tubes are popular in theindustry for spot cooling of machinery, processes and electronicequipment. A number of manufacturers have incorporated them into coolinggarments as well as respiration systems and although simple and veryeffective, they do require high volumes of compressed air in order tooperate. A typical vortex tube-based personnel cooling system mayconsume from 10 to 25 SCFM of air at 100 psi for example. This restrictsmobility to a fixed compressed air source or requires compressed air tobe carried which is not practical in most cases due to increased massand short operational duration.

With respect to thermoelectric devices (TEDs), TEDs have been usedextensively in cooling and heating applications since their commercialinception in the 1950's. Typical applications include compactrefrigerators/warmers, water coolers, electronic cooling and temperaturereferences as well as biomedical systems. Unfortunately, the currentgeneration of TEDs is relatively inefficient when compared to Rankincycle refrigeration systems on a power/heat in/heat out basis orcoefficient of performance (COP).

With respect to liquid cooled vests, these vests have found extensiveuse in a variety of personnel cooling applications over the years. Thecooling sources are typically refrigeration systems or thermal storage(ice water) based but there have been some examples utilizing TEDs.Refrigeration and thermal based systems can limit their mobility in massand/or space sensitive applications. Traditional TED basedconfigurations have been power intensive primarily due to low efficiencyand high interface resistance and losses. Because this is a form ofthermal contact cooling, the device must operate with a coolingtemperature below about 37° C. (98° F.). This higher ΔT in relationshipto ambient temperature can increase power demands when using thisapproach.

With respect to passive cooled vests, these vests have found limited usefor personnel cooling in certain military environments. The vestcontains packages of eutectic salts or parafinitic hydrocarbons whichabsorb heat and cool by phase change and thermal storage. They aretypically designed to operate at about 21° C. (65° F.). This temperaturerange is advantageous as it provides good recharging characteristicsusing only ice water or refrigeration while minimizing vasoconstrictionthat would further increase cooling resistance as excessively coldtemperatures are not directly applied to the subject. The user, however,must have access to a cold source as previously described in order tothermally recharge the vest. This would greatly limit its effectivenessas a portable garment.

With respect to air-cooled vests, certain designs of air-cooled vestswork primarily by removing heat trapped under the user's outerwear. Thisis effective with heavy or insulated outerwear or in cases where solarloads may be high, providing that the ambient air temperature is belowor not significantly above body temperature. The user of the air-cooledvest must drink water constantly to keep from becoming dehydrated. Somecommercial examples of air-cooled vests utilize vortex cooling tubesdiscussed above and other examples of air-cooled vests employ controlledrelease and expansion of compressed carbon dioxide to provide cooling.This approach is interesting as CO₂ also acts as a topical vasodilatorreducing the body's resistance to cooling. Unfortunately, highconcentrations of CO₂ can form carbonic acid when contacting the skin ormucus membranes. Hypoxia and hypercapnia are also potential hazards whenoperating this type of system in a poorly ventilated or enclosed area.Notably, hypercapnia has been shown to increase the core cooling rate inhumans.

There is a need for temperature controlling methods and/or systems thatmitigate and obviate at least one or more of the disadvantages of theprior art systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a body temperaturecontrolling system comprising:

at least one member receiving a flow of gas from at least one blower incommunication with said at least one member, said at least one memberdirecting said flow of gas onto a wearer thereof.

In accordance with another aspect, said at least one member is of asuitable size, shape, and/or configuration capable of controlling thewearer's body temperature.

In accordance with another aspect, said at least one member is porous.In accordance with another aspect, wherein said at least one membercomprises a frame. In accordance with another aspect, the frame iscovered with a porous material. In accordance with yet another aspect,the porous material is a fabric. In accordance with another aspect, thefabric comprises a mesh-like fabric.

In accordance with another aspect, the frame comprises a 3-dimensionalporous material having a generally flexible structure. In accordancewith another aspect, the 3-dimensional porous material comprises a3-dimensional mesh-like material. In accordance with another aspect, theframe comprises a stand-off material.

In accordance with another aspect, said at least one member is at leastone conduit. In accordance with another aspect, said at least oneconduit comprises a plurality of conduits, said conduits having at leastone feed conduit and at least one return conduit. In accordance withanother aspect, said at least one conduit is a counter-flow conduit. Inaccordance with another aspect, said at least one conduit comprises atleast one multilumen conduit. In accordance with another aspect, said atleast one multilumen conduit comprises at least one feed conduit and atleast one return conduit. In accordance with another aspect, said atleast one multilumen conduit is co-axial. In accordance with anotheraspect, at least one main feed conduit in communication with said atleast one feed conduit and at least one main return conduit incommunication with said at least one return conduit. In accordance withanother aspect, said at least one conduit is at least one of apanel-like conduit, tube, duct, channel, and 3-dimensional porousmaterial. In accordance with another aspect, the panel-like conduitcomprises a suitable width so as to occupy any portion of the system.

In accordance with another aspect, at least one of said at least oneconduit comprises a wall having any of porosity, openings, and vents.

In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises at leastone regenerative heat exchanger in communication with said at least onemember and said at least one blower.

In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises amanifold comprising at least one regenerative heat exchanger and said atleast one blower, said manifold in communication with said at least onemember. In accordance with another aspect, said manifold is capable ofbeing worn around the waist. In accordance with another aspect, said atleast one heat exchanger is at least one cross-over heat exchanger. Inaccordance with another aspect, said at least one blower comprises afeed blower and a return blower.

In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises at leastone nebulizer. In accordance with another aspect, the system furthercomprises at least one thereto-electric device. In accordance withanother aspect, the system further comprises said heat exchanger and/orsaid at least one conduit are in communication with said at least onenebulizer. In accordance with another aspect, the said heat exchangerand/or said at least one conduit are in communication with said at leastone thermo-electric device. In accordance with another aspect, the atleast one thermo-electric device is detachable. In accordance withanother aspect, the at least one thermo-electric device is reversiblyoperable so as to provide either heating or cooling. In accordance withanother aspect, the at least one nebulizer and said at least onethermoelectric device are operable in conjunction with one another. Inaccordance with another aspect, the at least one nebulizer and said atleast one thermo-electric device are automatically adjusted using athermostat.

In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises agarment. In accordance with another aspect, the system isself-contained.

In accordance with another aspect, the at least one member is arrangedsuch that the wearer is suitably covered to control body temperature.

In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a body temperaturecontrolling system comprising:

at least one conduit in communication with the body of a wearer tocontrol body temperature;

a blower in communication with said at least one conduit to provide aflow of gas through said at least one conduit, the gas flowing from theconduit to the body;

a regenerative heat exchanger in communication with said at least oneconduit and said blower.

In accordance with another aspect, at least one of said at least oneconduit being a counter-flow conduit.

In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a body temperaturecontrolling system comprising:

at least one conduit in communication with the body of a wearer tocontrol body temperature, at least one of said at least one conduitbeing a counter-flow conduit; and

a blower in communication with said at least one conduit to provide aflow of gas through said at least one conduit, the gas flowing from theconduit to the body.

In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises aregenerative heat exchanger in communication with said at least oneconduit and said blower.

In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a body temperaturecontrolling system comprising:

at least one conduit in communication with the body of a wearer tocontrol body temperature, said at least one conduit having at least onegas inlet and at least one gas outlet;

a blower in communication with the gas inlet of said at least oneconduit to provide a flow of gas through said at least one conduit, thegas flowing from the conduit to the body;

a regenerative heat exchanger in communication with said blower and thegas inlet and the gas outlet of said at least one conduit to transferheat from the gas which exits the gas outlet to the gas which enters thegas inlet.

In accordance with another aspect, at least one of said at least oneconduit being a counter-flow conduit.

In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a body temperaturecontrolling system comprising:

at least one conduit in communication with the body of a wearer tocontrol body temperature, said at least one conduit having a gas inletand a gas outlet and at least one of said at least one conduit being acounter-flow conduit; and

a blower in communication with the gas inlet of said at least oneconduit to provide a flow of gas through said at least one conduit, thegas flowing from the conduit to the body.

In accordance with another aspect, the system further comprises aregenerative heat exchanger in communication with said blower and thegas inlet and the gas outlet of said at least one conduit to transferheat from the gas which exits the gas outlet to the gas which enters thegas inlet.

In accordance with other aspects, the body temperature controllingsystem described above in combination with at least one garment.

In a further aspect, the system is coupled to said at least one garment.

In accordance with other aspects of the system described above, whereinthe counter-flow conduit is a multi-lumen conduit, for example, andwithout being limited thereto, a co-axial conduit.

In accordance with other aspects of the system described above, whereinthe conduit is porous and/or comprises openings in wall(s) therein.

In accordance with other aspects of the system described above, the gasentering the system contains droplets of liquid. The droplets of liquidmay be produced using a nebulizer.

In accordance with further aspects of the system described above, thegas is further cooled with a thermoelectric device in communication withthe conduit(s).

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and the specificexamples while indicating embodiments of the invention are given by wayof illustration only, since various changes and modifications within thespirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilledin the art from the detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain embodiments of the present invention will now be described morefully with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numeralsdenote like parts:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic of one embodiment of a body temperaturecontrolling system;

FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of the body temperaturecontrolling system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a regenerative heatexchanger;

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of one embodiment of a multi-lumenconduit, specifically, a coaxial conduit;

FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of one embodiment of a multi-lumenconduit;

FIG. 6 shows end view of some embodiments of multi-lumen conduits;

FIG. 7 shows a rear perspective view of another embodiment of a bodytemperature controlling system;

FIG. 8 shows a side perspective view of the embodiment of the bodytemperature controlling system of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a top perspective view of an embodiment showing oneposition of a TED;

FIG. 10 shows a top perspective view of an embodiment showing anotherposition of a TED;

FIG. 11 is a photograph showing a front perspective view of anotherembodiment of a body temperature controlling system on a wearer;

FIG. 12 is a photograph showing a rear perspective view of the bodytemperature controlling system of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of the coaxial conduit of FIG. 4;

FIG. 14 shows a partial view of an embodiment of a coaxial conduit,counter flow manifold;

FIG. 15 is a photograph showing a rear perspective view of the bodytemperature controlling system of FIG. 11 under a shirt;

FIG. 16 is a photograph showing a rear perspective view of the bodytemperature controlling system of FIG. 7 under a shirt and vest;

FIG. 17 shows a rear perspective view of another embodiment of a bodytemperature controlling system;

FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of conduits of the embodiment of FIG.17;

FIG. 19 is a photograph showing a side perspective view of an embodimentof a body temperature controlling system;

FIG. 20 is a photograph showing a front perspective view of anembodiment of a mold for formation of the body temperature controllingsystem of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a photograph showing a rear perspective view of theembodiment of the mold of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a photograph showing a side perspective view of a pre-formproduct molded from the mold of FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a manifold of anembodiment of a body temperature controlling system;

FIG. 24 shows a cross-sectional view of the manifold of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 shows a schematic view of the manifold of FIG. 23;

FIG. 26 is a photograph showing a perspective view of a heat exchangerof the manifold of FIG. 23;

FIG. 27 is a photograph showing a perspective view of a conduit and agarment of another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system;

FIG. 28 is a photograph showing a perspective view of examples of theconduit of the system of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is a photograph showing a perspective view of a plurality ofconnected conduits of the system of FIG. 27;

FIG. 30 is a photograph showing a perspective view of a conduit ofanother embodiment of a body temperature controlling system;

FIG. 31 is a photograph showing a perspective view of conduits and agarment of another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system;

FIG. 32 is a photograph showing a perspective view of ports of the bodytemperature controlling system of FIG. 31;

FIG. 33 shows a schematic of an embodiment of a cooling source;

FIG. 34 shows a schematic of an embodiment of a TEG;

FIG. 35 shows a flow chart of system test points of an embodiment of abody temperature controlling system;

FIG. 36 is a photograph showing a perspective view of the embodiment ofthe body temperature controlling system of FIG. 17 on a wearer;

FIG. 37 is a photograph showing a perspective view of the embodiment ofthe body temperature controlling system of FIG. 17 on a wearer with avest;

FIG. 38 shows temperature profiles for the body temperature controllingsystem of FIG. 17 on a wearer; and

FIG. 39 shows relative humidity profiles for the body temperaturecontrolling system of FIG. 17 on a wearer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment is directed to a body temperature controlling system.Typically, the system is lightweight and has high mobility, and isgenerally used to control the temperature of the wearer and, forexample, to maintain a comfortable body temperature of the wearer. Sucha garment may be used for military applications, but may also be used,for example, in sports (e.g. for cooling athletes during training andcompetition), industrial and medical applications.

In specific embodiments, the system is pre-assembled, self-contained andeasily donned by the wearer, in particular, by soldiers with theiroperational gear. The system may also be integrated with other gear thata soldier wears (for example, body armor, or chemical/biologicalprotective equipment). In other embodiments, the power supply of thesystem is rechargeable, typically by the wearer, and is compatible withexisting power systems such as, for example, vehicle power systemsduring military mounted operations.

An embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shownschematically in FIG. 1 and indicated generally by numeral 100. Thesystem 100 comprises feed conduits 110 coupled to and in communicationwith main feed conduit 120, which operate together with return conduits112 coupled to and in communication with main return conduit 122. Theconduits 110 and 112 are microtubes and are arranged such that the torsoof the wearer is suitably covered by several conduits 110 and 112. Themain feed conduit 120 and the main return conduit 122 are incommunication with a manifold 150. The manifold 150 comprises feedblower 152, return blower 153 and a cross-over heat exchanger 154. Thepurpose of this heat exchanger 154 is to pre-cool the warm incoming airwith exhaust air that has already been cooled in the internalenvironment of the system 100. The manifold 150 also comprises anultrasonic nebulizer 156 and a thermoelectric device (TED) 158. The TED158 has a TED cold side 160 and a TED hot side 162 and, in theembodiment shown, the feed conduit 120 is in communication with the TEDcold side 160 for cooling purposes. Nebulizer 156 provides additionalevaporative cooling through the addition of small amounts ofsupplemental water added to the air cycle via high frequency ultrasonicatomization. This results in the production of an aerosol of extremelyfine, micron sized droplets with high surface area and mobility. Verycompact, portable ultrasonic nebulizers for personal use arecommercially available and require low levels of power to operate, suchas standard AA batteries. A power source may be provided to supply powerto the various components of manifold 150.

In operation, as depicted schematically in FIG. 1, air is drawn into themanifold 150 by the feed blower 152, where the air is cooledsequentially by the heat exchanger 154, the nebulizer 156, and the TEDcold side 160. This cooled air is blown from the main feed conduit 120via the feed conduits 110 over the torso of the wearer to the mainreturn conduit 122 via the return conduits 112, as drawn by the returnblower 153. The return air is passed through the heat exchanger 154 tocool incoming air. This air, which is still cooler than ambient, can beexhausted through the heat exchanger at the TED hot side 162 to removeany heat generated by the TED 158, thereby increasing the efficiency ofthe system.

FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of a further embodiment of a bodytemperature controlling system, which is indicated generally by numeral200. Feed conduits 110 and return conduits 112 of the embodiment of FIG.1 are effectively combined into conduits 214 carrying both feed andreturn flows. Similarly, the main feed conduit 120 and main returnconduit 122 of FIG. 1 are effectively combined into two singlecounter-flow conduits each carrying both a feed and a return flow,namely right main conduit 224 and left main conduit 226. The specificcross-sectional geometries of conduits 214 and main conduits 224 and 226will be described below using FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The main conduits 224and 226 are L-shaped and have respective first portions 234 and 236parallel to the vertical axis of the body of the wearer and are spacedapart from one another. Second portions 238 and 240 of the main conduits224 and 226, respectively, are perpendicular to the vertical axis of thebody of the wearer, wherein one main conduit 224 continues around thewaist of one side of the wearer via second portion 238 while the othermain conduit 226 continues around the waist of the other side of thewearer via the second portion 240. Ends 242 and 244 of the main conduits224 and 226, respectively, terminate at one end 246 of a supply conduit248, and the main conduits 224 and 226 are thereby in communication withthe supply conduit 248. The system 200 includes a manifold (not shown).The manifold is similar to that included in the system 100 of FIG. 1.

The conduits 214, 224, 226 and 248 are counter-flow and comprise bothfeed and return flow channels configured within a single conduit. Thesechannels can be arranged within the conduit in any of a number ofconfigurations, such as but not limited to, the multi-lumenconfigurations, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 shows a co-axialconduit 414 that comprises both a feed conduit 410 and a return conduit412, together with the associated air flow pattern in the vicinity ofthe outlet. FIG. 5 shows a multi-lumen conduit 514 that comprises both afeed conduit 510 and a return conduit 512, together with the associatedair flow pattern in the vicinity of the outlet. Additionally, as thefeed and return channels are positioned adjacently within each conduit414 and 514, each conduit can also comprise an interface serving as asurface for heat exchange, which thereby compliments the function of theheat exchanger that is a separate module. Other examples of multi-lumenconduits with different cross-sectional geometries are shown in FIG. 6.Any suitable multi-lumen conduit may be used, for example, having anyair flow pattern that provides counter-flow. For example, the air flowpattern shown in either of FIG. 4 or 5 can be reversed to achieve thesame counter-flow. The conduits can also provide measurable coolingthrough skin contact.

In operation, air is drawn into the system 200 through a blower similarto the blower 152 of FIG. 1 and pre-cooled by a heat exchanger similarto the heat exchanger 154 of FIG. 1. Water is vaporized into an aerosolof micron-sized droplets using an ultrasonic nebulizer similar to theultrasonic nebulizer 156 of FIG. 1, evaporatively cooling the air. Theair is then further cooled by passing over a TED cold side similar tothe TED cold side 160 of FIG. 1. The cooled air is distributed to thebody via the supply conduit 248, main conduits 224 and 226, and conduits214. Further cooling of the air occurs as it passes convectively overthe body of the wearer owing to the evaporation of body perspiration,creating a micro-environment within the system 200. The air is thenextracted using the same conduits 214, 224, 226, and 248, but ratherthan discard the cooler air that has been created, this return air ispassed through the heat exchanger and is used to cool the intake air andthen exhausted through a blower similar to blower 153 of FIG. 1. Ageneral configuration of the cross-over heat exchanger for both systems100 and 200 of FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, is shown in FIG. 3. Agarment 266 is fitted over the conduits 214, 224, 226, and 248.

In an operating example of FIGS. 1 and 2, using body perspiration only,ambient air is drawn into the system 200 at 48° C. and a relativehumidity of 16%. This air is passed over the body and interacts byevaporation of perspiration that effectively cools it to 41° C. with arelative humidity of 55%. This outgoing air passes through thecross-over heat exchanger that is cross connected with the intake air.The exhaust air is then used to pre-cool the intake air.

With respect to the cross-over heat exchangers described herein, anysuitable regenerative heat exchanger may be used.

Any suitable power source used herein may be used to power thecomponent(s) of the manifold.

The blower used in the above described embodiment can be any mechanicaldevice that blows, such as, and without being limited thereto a fan,high speed centrifugal blower, oscillaters, to produce a flow of gas,such as air. The blower can be in any suitable position within thesystem. For example, and without being limited thereto, the blower canalso be situated prior to the air entering the conduit and/or after theair exits the conduit. There can also be any number of blowers. This isapplicable to the various embodiments described herein.

The conduits (e.g. tubes, ducts, channels, 3-dimensional materials,etc.) may be any suitable member conveying the flow of gas. Theconduit(s) may be of any suitable size, shape, number and/orconfiguration capable of controlling the wearer's body temperature. Theconduit(s) may have wall openings to permit further airflow. Theconduit(s) may also be porous. There may be a combination thereof (e.g.porous, non-porous, wall openings etc.). The conduits may be multi-lumenor single lumen. The configuration of the channels in the multi-lumenconduits may assume any configuration and is not limited to any specificconfiguration described herein, such as co-axial.

The system may be coupled to any suitable garment. For example, thesystem may be sewn to the garment, such as but not limited to sewing orthrough the use of a hook-and-loop type material such as Velcro™. Thesystem can simply be operatively coupled to the garment, whereby thesystem relies on the garment to provide a flow barrier between thewearer and the outside environment to allow the body temperature of thewearer to be better controlled. The system may be connected to andoperatively coupled to the garment. The system may be operable betweenthe garment of the wearer and the wearer's skin or between layers ofgarments.

The system may be made of any suitable material such as, and withoutbeing limited thereto, a polymeric material. The polymeric material canbe flexible to facilitate installation, removal, and movement of thewearer.

The manifold may comprise a TED and/or a nebulizer or may compriseneither. Any suitable TED and/or nebulizer may be used. For example,while the above embodiment describes an ultrasonic nebulizer, thenebulizer may be any of, but not limited to, a rotary nebulizer, a spraynebulizer, or an ultrasonic nebulizer. Additionally, the nebulizer canbe replaced with any device that provides evaporative cooling throughthe production of an aerosol of liquid droplets. The air entering thesystem can also be further cooled by passing it through an evaporator ofa vapor compression refrigeration system.

The TED may be configured to be detachable to the system so as toprovide operational flexibility in environments in which TED bodytemperature control is not required. To this end, the TED may be housedin a detachable module for convenience.

The TED and the nebulizer may each be operated independently or inconjunction with one another so as to provide body temperature controlfor a range of climate conditions. For example, in tropical conditions(moderate temperature, high humidity), evaporative cooling provided bythe nebulizer could be thermodynamically suppressed by the high ambienthumidity and could be consequently less effective, while the coolingprovided by the TED could predominate. Alternatively, in “high desert”conditions (high temperature, low humidity), evaporative coolingprovided by the nebulizer could be highly effective and could exceed thecooling provided by the TED. To optimize the system performance for thegiven conditions, and to thereby optimize power efficiency, a variablecontrol could be provided for each of the nebulizer and the TED suchthat the control of active cooling could be tuned to achieve the mostcomfortable temperature depending on the ambient conditions. For thispurpose, and in a typical embodiment, the nebulizer and the TED may beindividually and variably controlled by the wearer or automaticallyadjusted using a thermostat, for example. Moreover, the devices may beoperated simultaneously.

The TED may be reversibly operable, whereby reversing the polarity ofthe power supplied to the TED could allow it to effectively operate as aheater instead of a cooler. This feature could be beneficial for use atnight or in colder climates. When the system is operated in this heatermode, the nebulizer could be deactivated so as to not provide cooling.

A number of commercial TED-based devices for power generation may alsobe used. These systems generate power from vehicle waste heat such asexhaust and could be used to provide additional power for cooling andbattery charging.

Beside TEDs, other cooling sources may be used. For example, coolingsources are liquid nitrogen (LN₂) or frozen carbon dioxide (CO₂ dry ice)(FIG. 33); see U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,963. In the case of LN₂, a watercooler sized generator is available as a commercial off the shelf system(see FIG. 34). This will require electrical power to operate a smallhigh efficiency fan as well as the environmental controls; however, itwill not require batteries. Instead it will use a solid state,thermoelectric generator (TEG) to provide power (FIG. 34). The TEG willuse the temperature differential between the cooling source and the warmside air in the garment and convert it to electricity. The largetemperature differential available will minimize the size of the heatsinks required and will provide instant power when the refrigerant isloaded, eliminating the need for batteries.

The manifold can be located on or near any suitable area of the body.

Any suitable gas can be used in the above-described system.

An alternative embodiment of a body temperature controlling system isshown in FIGS. 7 to 10 and indicated generally by numeral 700. Thesystem 700 comprises conduits 714 coupled and in communication with asupply conduit 748. The conduits 714 are arranged such that the torso issuitably covered by several conduits 714. The supply conduit 748 isparallel to the spine of the wearer and extends from one end 746 (at thewaist of the wearer) to the other end 747 (at the nape of the neck ofthe wearer). The end 747 of the supply conduit 748 is in communicationwith a manifold 750 that is in communication with the several batterypacks 764 located around the waist of the wearer. Battery packs 764supply power to the various components of manifold 750. In a typicalembodiment, the manifold 750 comprises a blower, a cross-overregenerative heat exchanger and a nebulizer similar to those describedin FIG. 1. Separate therefrom, and in communication therewith, is a TED758 located on the shoulder of the wearer. A garment 766 is fitted overthe conduits 714 and 748.

The TED 758 may be configured to be readily detachable from the systemso as to provide operational flexibility in environments in which TED758 body temperature control is not required. To this end, the TED 758may be housed in a detachable module for convenience. Otherconfigurations and component placements are possible using thisapproach. This embodiment is also flexible from a mounted operationsstandpoint as the TED 758 can be worn on any suitable area of the body.For example, and as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the TED 758 can be worn oneither shoulder allowing the TED 758 to exhaust out of the vehicleregardless if the user is seated in the driver or passenger side. Thisexhausting could be facilitated by a flex duct 768, shown in FIGS. 9 and10, which could be configured to connect to TED 758 in a quick andsimple fashion.

In operation, the system 700 operates similarly to system 200 describedabove, and also incorporates its operational, functional, and materialembodiments. The system 700 acts to control the wearer's bodytemperature, for example, to maintain a comfortable body temperature forthe wearer.

In another embodiment, a body temperature controlling system is shown inFIGS. 11 and 12 and is indicated generally by numeral 1100. Thistemperature controlling garment 1100 contains several conduits 1114 ofvarying lengths suitably covering the back of the wearer. Some of theconduits 1114 are long enough to extend to the front of the wearer. Airdistribution within system 1100 relies on the use of conduits 1114without any main conduits or supply conduits. The conduits 1114 arecoaxial microtubes as shown in FIG. 13. The feed conduit 1110 operatesunder positive pressure and the return conduit 1112 runs on negativepressure. This creates a pressure balance and a condition ofrecirculation at the application point. One end of the conduits 1114interconnects with a manifold 1150 located at the nape of the wearer'sneck. A simple model illustrating a counter-flow manifold 1150 conceptfor use with conduits 1114, and the associated flow paths, is shown inFIG. 14. While only four conduits 1114 are illustrated to be incommunication with manifold 1150 in the example shown in FIG. 14, it isappreciated that a greater number of conduits 1114 are accommodated bymanifold 1150 in FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 15 shows the application of ashirt 1172 over the system 1100. FIG. 16 shows the application of ashirt 772 and a vest 774 over the system 700.

The system 1100 may also include a blower, a regenerative heatexchanger, a nebulizer, a TED (similar to those described in FIG. 1) anda power source. In operation, the system 1100 operates similarly tosystem 200 described above, and also incorporates its operational,functional, and material embodiments. The system 1100 acts to controlthe wearer's body temperature, for example, to maintain a comfortablebody temperature for the wearer.

In experimental testing of system 1100, thirty-six tubes were used inthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 15 with an average tube length of 17inches. The outer tube had an outer diameter of 0.144″ and the innertube had a diameter of 0.078″. Both tubes had a wall thickness of0.007″. The total weight of all the tubes was less than 59 grams. Usinga baseline airflow requirement of 35 cubic feet per minute, flowcalculations were performed. This aspect of the design is driven in partby fan design and efficiency in order to minimize size and powerrequirements. The power consumption is about 25 W. The power consumptionshows a fan with good efficiency and relatively low power consumption.

Another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shown inFIGS. 17 and 18 and is indicated generally by numeral 1700. The system1700 comprises conduits 1714 coupled and in communication with a supplyconduit 1724. The conduits 1714 are co-axial tubes, each having a feedconduit 1710 and a return conduit 1712. The supply conduit 1724 has amain feed conduit 1720 and a main return conduit 1722. The feed conduit1710 is coupled to and in communication with the main feed conduit 1720and the return conduit 1712 is coupled to and in communication with themain return conduit 1722. The supply conduit 1724 has a generallyrectangular shape and occupies a thinner profile than a cylindricalconduit of the same cross-sectional area. Such a thinner profile renderssystem 1700 potentially less bulky as compared to other embodiments,which can be advantageous for certain operations or applications.

The system 1700 may also include a manifold, a blower, a regenerativeheat exchanger, a nebulizer, and a TED (similar to those described inFIG. 1), a power source and a garment. In operation, the system 1700operates similarly to system 200 described above, and also incorporatesits operational, functional, and material embodiments. The system 1700acts to control the wearer's body temperature, for example, to maintaina comfortable body temperature for the wearer.

Another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shown inFIG. 19 and indicated generally by numeral 1900. The system 1900comprises conduits (not shown but similar to the conduit 214 shown inFIG. 2) coupled and in communication with main conduits 1924 and 1926(similar to the main conduits 224 and 226 shown in FIG. 2). The conduits(not shown) are arranged such that the torso is suitably covered withseveral conduits. The main conduits 1924 and 1926 are L-shaped, whereinfirst portions 1934 and 1936 of main conduits 1924 and 1926 are parallelto the vertical axis of the body of the wearer and are spaced apart fromone another. These portions 1934 and 1936 extend over the shoulders ofthe wearer and are in communication with a supply conduit 1948. A secondportion 1938 and 1940 of each main conduit 1924 and 1926, respectively,is perpendicular to the vertical axis of the body of the wearer, whereinone main conduit 1924 continues around the waist of one side of thewearer via second portion 1938 while the other main conduit 1926continues around the waist of the other side of the wearer via thesecond portion 1940. Ends 1942 and 1944 of the main conduits 1924 and1926, respectively, terminate at one end 1946 of a supply conduit 1948,and the main conduits 1924 and 1926 are thereby in communication withthe supply conduit 1948. The supply conduit 1948 also comprises conduits1914 (not shown) coupled and in communication therewith. The system 1900was developed directly on a human form using a mold 2000 for formationof the body temperature controlling system of FIG. 19 (see FIGS. 20 to22). A composite material was laid over the mold 2000 to form a pre-formproduct 2200 shown in FIG. 22.

The system 1900 includes a manifold (not shown). The manifold is similarto that included in the system 100 of FIG. 1. In operation, the system1900 operates similarly to system 100 described above, and alsoincorporates its operational, functional, and material embodiments. Thesystem 1900 acts to control the wearer's body temperature, for example,to maintain a comfortable body temperature for the wearer.

In another embodiment, a manifold of an embodiment of a body temperaturecontrolling system is shown in FIGS. 23, 24, and 25 indicated generallyby numeral 2350. The manifold 2350 is generally of a curved shape and isdesigned to be worn around the waist of the wearer and in communicationwith conduits of a body temperature controlling system which could bemodified to accommodate a manifold at the waist, such as, and withoutbeing limited thereto, system 3100 of FIG. 31 described below. Themanifold 2350 comprises a blower 2352 that is in communication withcross-over heat exchanger 2354. The cross-over heat exchanger 2354 is incommunication with both feed nebulizer 2356 and return nebulizer 2357.The nebulizers 2356 and 2357 are positioned in the feed and return ductsof the heat exchanger 2354, respectively, and serve to cool the feed andreturn air respectively entering and exiting the conduits of the systemdescribed herein. The nebulizers 2356 and 2357 together form a“two-stage nebulizer”, which is an efficient design whereby both rotarynebulizers are powered by a single motor, as shown schematically in FIG.25. The manifold 2350 is in communication with feed port 2395 and returnport 2396, which may interface with respective ports of the systemdescribed herein.

In operation, semi-cool return air that has been heated through exposureto the torso of the wearer can be cooled by the return nebulizer 2357without the requirement for an additional motor or the use of additionalbattery power. The cooled return air, which was already cooler than theambient, is then passed through the heat exchanger 2354 to cool the feedair prior to it passing through the feed nebulizer 2356. Also shown inFIG. 25 are battery pack 2364 and control electronics 2365. The batterypack 2364 provides power to the various components of the manifold 2350.

FIG. 26 shows the heat exchanger 2354 in greater detail. The heatexchanger 2354 comprises a septum 2382 through which a plurality of pins2384 are inserted to perforate the septum 2382. The septum 2382 is madefrom a flexible material to enable the manifold 2350 to flex in order toaccommodate a range of waist sizes for different wearers, or to respondto the motions of the wearer. Each of the pins 2384 is inserted throughthe septum 2382 such that one portion of each pin extends from each sideof the septum 2382 so as to provide maximum conductance of heat from oneside of the septum 2382 to the other.

As mentioned above, the manifold 2350 is designed to be worn around thewaist of the wearer and in communication with conduits of a bodytemperature controlling system, such as, and without being limitedthereto, the system 3100.

The septum 2382 can be made from any suitable material. For example,metals or polymers.

The pins 2384 can be any thermally conductive members. The member(s) donot have to be inserted through the septum. The members may be appliedin any configuration or manner to provide thermal conductivity. Themembers could be applied to one side of the septum and the other side ofthe septum and could be in communication with one another. This may bedone via welding or brazing, for example.

Still another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system isshown in FIGS. 27 to 29 and is indicated generally by numeral 2700. Thesystem 2700 comprises one or more main conduits 2720 that are fittedwithin a garment 2766. The conduits 2720 each comprise a tubular frame2788 having a skeletal structure, which is sheathed in a fabric covering2790. The fabric covering 2790 comprises a longitudinal strip ofmesh-like fabric 2792. The tubular frame 2788 is made of a polymericmaterial and has an open structure that is generally both longitudinallyflexible and is radially rigid, and permits gas flow both longitudinallyalong the longitudinal axis of the tube and through the mesh-like fabric2792. A plurality of the conduits 2720 are brought into communicationwith each other using a T-connector 2794 so as to form a flexible butresilient frame of the conduits 2720 within a garment 2766. The conduits2720 may be used in communication with a manifold comprising a blower,and may also be in communication with a nebulizer, a thermoelectricdevice (for example, as described in the system 100 of FIG. 1), and/or apower source.

The tubular frame may be made of any suitable flexible material.

The fabric covering 2790 may be made of any suitable fabric orsheet-like material. Various materials such as, and without beinglimited thereto: Banox FR3 is a 100% flame-retardant treated 100% cottonfabric; NOMEX® is a flame retardant meta-aramid material marketed andfirst discovered by Du Pont in the 1970s and it can be considered anaromatic “nylon”; Westex INDURA®; Westex's INDURA® Ultra Soft flameresistant fabrics; Hoechst Celanese PBI Gold; Springs IndustriesFIREWEAR®; KERMEL® fiber is a polyamide-imide fiber which is classifiedin the meta-aramide family; CarbonX® fire resistant material; and SSMIndustries Pro-Fil FR® may be used. Mesh materials may be used.

The longitudinal strip of mesh-like fabric 2792 may be any suitablemesh-like fabric, which may or may not be incorporated. If the mesh-likefabric is incorporated it may be integral with or may be any portion ofthe fabric covering 2790.

With respect to the T-connector 2794, any suitable connectors may beused. The conduits may be integral and therefore, eliminating theconnector altogether.

In a similar embodiment shown in FIG. 30, a main conduit has a generallyrectangular cross section and is generally indicated by numeral 3020.The conduit 3020 comprises an internal frame 3088 comprised of a3-dimensional mesh-like material having a generally flexible structure,which is sheathed in a fabric covering 3090. The fabric covering 3090comprises a longitudinal strip of mesh-like fabric 3092. The internalframe 3088 is made of a polymeric material and has an open structurethat is generally both longitudinally flexible and laterally rigid andpermits gas flow both longitudinally along the longitudinal axis of thetube and transversely through the mesh-like fabric 3092. Similarvariations are applicable as described above with respect to the system2700 of FIGS. 27 to 29.

The internal frame 3088 may be any suitable 3-dimensional porousmaterial. The internal frame may also serve as a stand-off material,wherein the internal frame is largely hollow to reduce air resistance.

Porous material or porous described herein is any material through whichgas can flow.

Another embodiment of a body temperature controlling system is shown inFIGS. 31 and 32 and is indicated generally by numeral 3100. The system3100 comprises one or more panel-shaped feed conduits 3110 andpanel-shaped return conduits 3112, that are fitted within a garment3166. The conduits 3110 and 3112 comprise an internal frame comprised ofa 3-dimensional mesh-like material having a generally flexiblestructure, similar to the internal frame 3088 of FIG. 30, which aresheathed in a mesh-like fabric 3192. The internal frame is made of apolymeric material and has an open structure that is generally bothlongitudinally flexible and laterally rigid, and permits gas flow bothlongitudinally along the longitudinal axis of the tube and transverselythrough the mesh covering 3192. A plurality of the conduits 3110 or 3112can be brought into communication with each other using a connector (notshown) so as to form a flexible but resilient frame of the conduits 3110and 3112 within the garment 3166. The feed conduits 3110 may be incommunication with a main feed conduit (not shown), which is positionedalong the waist and in the lumbar region of the wearer, and the returnconduits 3112 may be in communication with a main return conduit (notshown), which is positioned along the waist and in the belly region ofthe wearer. The main feed conduit and the main return conduit may be incommunication with a manifold comprising a blower, a nebulizer, athermoelectric device (for example, as described in the system 100 ofFIG. 1), and/or a power source. FIG. 32 shows feed port 3197 and returnport 3198 that interface with the respective ports on a manifold suchas, for example, the manifold 2350 shown in FIG. 23, which has matchingports 2395 and 2396, respectively, which in turn can be in communicationwith the conduits 3110, 3112, and the main conduits. Similar variationsare applicable as described above with respect to the system 2700 ofFIGS. 27 to 29 and the conduit 3020 of FIG. 30.

In operation, air is cooled in a manifold used with system 3100, and thecooled air is pumped into feed port 3197 from the manifold. The cooledair flows into the main feed conduit that is positioned parallel to thewaist and in the lumbar region of the garment 3166. Feed conduits 3110are in communication with the main feed conduit, and cooled air flowsthereby from the main feed conduit to feed conduits 3110 and then overthe body of a wearer of the system 3100. Air is then drawn into returnconduits 3112, which are in communication with the main return conduitthat is positioned parallel to the waist of the wearer and in the bellyregion of the garment 3166. The return air is drawn out of the mainreturn conduit via the return port 3198 and into the manifold used withsystem 3100.

While the above embodiment describes the feed and return conduits asbeing positioned generally in the back and front of the wearer,respectively, it may be appreciated any location may be used for theseconduits. While the above embodiment describes the main feed and mainreturn conduits as being positioned generally in the lumbar and bellyregions of the wearer, respectively, it may be appreciated any locationmay be used for these main conduits.

The panel-shaped conduits 3110 and 3112 can be any suitable shape, sizeor configuration to convey gas flow. For example, the conduit(s) can beany suitable width so as to occupy any portion of the garment.

With regard to the embodiments described by systems 100, 700, 1100,1700, 1900, 2700, and 3100 the alternatives described herebefore andhereafter apply.

A controller can be used to control fan air flow and refrigerantdelivery by environmental feed back within the garment. The ability toprogram the cooling conditions will help acclimatize the subject duringinitial use and conditioning. A demand controlled based system couldvary the amount of airflow, water and if required TED cooling based onenvironmental and physiological requirements such as body temperature ortemperature and humidity changes from inlet to outlet air. This couldincrease the efficiency and duration of the cooling system by optimizingpower and water use. The system can also include a data logger to recordvarious aspects of the system as well as the user's response.

The design of the garment of the system will depend somewhat on theactivity as well as the delivered cooling and coverage area required.The garment may be any item of clothing such as a vest, shirt, pants,etc. With respect to the coverage area, for example, a garment withshort sleeves and legs will provide approximately 50% coverage of thetotal body area, whereas a long sleeve leg version could provide >75%coverage and improve cooling. Both designs (see for example FIG. 35)could utilize a common cooling module and could be used alternativelydepending on the activity, ambient conditions and level ofacclimatization.

Any suitable garment material may be used. With respect to soldiers inthe battle field, thermal effects from enemy ordinance such as IED's isa concern and secondary burn trauma caused by melting syntheticmaterials is well known. Various garment materials such as, and withoutbeing limited thereto: driFire®, Banox FR3 is a 100% flame-retardanttreated 100% cotton fabric; NOMEX® is a flame retardant meta-aramidmaterial marketed and first discovered by Du Pont in the 1970s and itcan be considered an aromatic “nylon”; Westex INDURA®; Westex's INDURA®Ultra Soft flame resistant fabrics; Hoechst Celanese PBI Gold; SpringsIndustries FIREWEAR®; KERMEL® fiber is a polyamide-imide fiber which isclassified in the meta-aramide family; CarbonX® fire resistant material;and SSM Industries Pro-Fil FR® may be used. Mesh materials may be used.

Any standard power sources may be used with the systems of the presentinvention. For example, commercial and military qualified lithium ioncells are well characterized and are readily available from a number ofmanufacturers. As mentioned previously, typical power densities forrechargeable systems are in the range of 140˜150 W·h/kg. Lithium Sulfurbatteries are currently being produced with densities exceeding 300W·h/kg and are expected to reach as high as 600 W·h/kg in the forseeablefuture. The lithium sulfur cell shown at the top of FIG. 40 has anominal capacity of 2200 milliamps and weighs 15 grams. Typically, thebattery pack does not transfer heat to the user or inlet air duringcharging or discharging. Battery packs with internal temperature sensingare available. Miniature fuel cells that are currently being developedare reported to have power densities exceeding 800 W·h/kg. These powersupplies have the potential to further increase the mobility andduration of the garment and electronics cooling systems. The latestgeneration of field transportable electrolysers that use compact photonexchange membrane technology could be used for field generation ofhydrogen as well as hydride regeneration.

The garment can be used for controlling the temperature on any area ofthe body (e.g. torso, head, legs, etc.).

Any suitable gas can be used in the above-described system.

As mentioned earlier, the system may also be used for warming a weareras well.

EXAMPLE

The embodiments of FIGS. 19 to 22 are used.

A total of 74 supply micro-tubes with an average length of 3″ wereinstalled on conduits 1920, 1922 and 1938. The tubes had a nominaldiameter of 0.144″ and a wall thickness of 0.007″. An equal number of0.125″ extractor ports were installed between the supply conduitdirectly on the coaxial, counter flow duct. Twenty additional 0.125″supply ports were installed under the supply and extractor conduits toprovide airflow between the duct and the wearer.

A total of seven Vaisala HPM-50, combination temperature and humiditysensors were installed in the system test points as shown in FIG. 35. Inaddition, a Hall Effect current detector was installed to measure TEDpower demand. Volumetric flow rates of pressures were also measured thecomplete system including the garment were measured using an anemometerat the garment supply and extraction connection points. Static at theselocations.

The duct and outer garment were placed on the wearer with eightadditional 0.144″ supply and extractor conduits routed to the wearer'sunder garments for additional application coverage (FIG. 36). Aprototype garment fabricated from Carbon-X was placed over theapplication system to contain the micro-environment. The camouflagedgarment shown in FIG. 37 is not part of the system and was used tovisualize a ballistic vest. The male test wearer was approximately 6feet tall, 168 pounds and in good physical condition. A simpleenvironmental chamber was prepared and conditioned to approximately 46°C. and a relative humidity of 16% using electric heating sources anddehumidifiers. The wearer and garment were connected to the systemancillaries using flexible air hoses. The garment system fans wereturned on and conditions were allowed to stabilize. Data was recordedusing three system operation modes. These were regenerative only,regenerative and evaporative and finally regenerative, evaporative andTED combined.

FIGS. 38 and 39 show temperature and relative humidity profiles throughthe system during the three modes of operation. The supply and extractedairflow rates during the test were 16 and 15 cubic feet per minute,respectively. Delivery pressure was 1.95 in·H₂O and the return pressurewas −1.55 in·H₂O. The nebulizer delivered approximately 1 gram of waterper minute to the system during evaporate and evaporate/TED modes ofoperation. The wearer reported heat relief almost immediately after thesystem was turned on in the initial regenerative mode and wascomfortable for the duration of the test.

The test wearer was sedentary during the experiment and only smallamounts of water atomization and airflow were required to maintain hiscomfort level.

When introducing elements disclosed herein, the articles “a”, “an”,“the”, and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of theelements. The terms “comprising”, “having”, “including” are intended tobe open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements other thanthe listed elements.

With respect to the terms “coupled” or “coupling”, these terms areunderstood to encompass integral with or connected thereto.

The description as set forth is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the scope of the invention. Many modifications and variations arepossible in light of the above teaching without departing from thespirit and scope of the following claims. It is contemplated that theuse of the present invention can involve components having differentcharacteristics. It is intended that the scope of the present inventionbe defined by the claims appended hereto, giving full cognizance toequivalents in all respects.

What is claimed is:
 1. A body temperature controlling system comprising:at least one member receiving a flow of gas from at least one blower incommunication with said at least one member, said at least one memberdirecting said flow of gas onto a wearer thereof.
 2. The system of claim1, wherein said at least one member is of a suitable size, shape, and/orconfiguration capable of controlling the wearer's body temperature. 3.The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one member is porous. 4.The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one member comprises aframe.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the frame is covered with aporous material.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the porous materialis a fabric.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the fabric comprises amesh-like fabric.
 8. The system of claim 4, wherein the frame comprisesa 3-dimensional porous material having a generally flexible structure.9. The system of claim 8, wherein the 3-dimensional porous materialcomprises a 3-dimensional mesh-like material.
 10. The system of claim 4,wherein the frame comprises a stand-off material.
 11. The system ofclaim 1, wherein said at least one member is at least one conduit. 12.The system of claim 8, wherein said at least one member is at least oneconduit.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein said at least one conduitcomprises a plurality of conduits, said conduits having at least onefeed conduit and at least one return conduit.
 14. The system of claim11, wherein said at least one conduit is a counter-flow conduit.
 15. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein said at least one conduit comprises at leastone multilumen conduit.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein said atleast one multilumen conduit comprises at least one feed conduit and atleast one return conduit.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein said atleast one multilumen conduit is co-axial.
 18. The system of claim 13further comprising at least one main feed conduit in communication withsaid at least one feed conduit and at least one main return conduit incommunication with said at least one return conduit.
 19. The system ofclaim 16 further comprising at least one main feed conduit incommunication with said at least one feed conduit and at least one mainreturn conduit in communication with said at least one return conduit.20. The system of claim 11, wherein said at least one conduit is atleast one of a panel-shaped conduit, tube, duct, channel, and3-dimensional porous material.